The state of Israel was established in 1948, but its roots lie in the late 19th-century Zionist movement, which advocated for a Jewish homeland.

After World War I, Britain was given a mandate over Palestine, the territory in question.

Growing Jewish immigration to Palestine led to increasing tensions and conflict with the local Arab population.

After World War II, and in the wake of the Holocaust, international support for a Jewish state grew.

In 1947, the United Nations approved a partition plan to divide Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states.

The Jewish leadership accepted the plan, but the Arab leadership rejected it.

Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948.

The next day, Israel was invaded by a coalition of neighboring Arab states, starting the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Israel won the war, expanding its territory beyond the original UN partition plan.

The war created a major Palestinian refugee crisis and marked the beginning of the long-running Arab-Israeli conflict.